Sharp combines its latest LCD improvements in LX series HDTVs

Sony's goal for '08: Outpace LCD market growth

Sony's got every other LCD manufacturer in its sights this year (we know, we've got the roadmap), taking the stage of Finetech Japan 2008 predicting sales of 108 million units globally, and, through investments and "technological differences", being in position to take the lion's share of them. Sure in the U.S. upstarts like Vizio have grabbed a chunk of the market, and things are just as cutthroat in Japan, but beyond its partnerships with Samsung and Sharp, Sony's focused on growing partnerships with Best Buy, Costco and Wal-Mart to reach 15-20 million LCDs this year. Other than lower costs as production increases, and advanced technology, 2009 plans call for a 32-inch HDTV that needs less than half the power of a current model, and even more super-slim OLEDs.